Spore
Spore is a 2008 life simulation developed by Maxis under designer Will Wright, an ambitious game spanning the evolution of life from a single cell to a galactic civilization. Players guide a species through five distinct stages, each with its own style of play and objectives.
The game moved from a tide-pool Cell phase through Creature, Tribal, Civilization, and finally Space exploration stages, tying them together with powerful creature, vehicle, and building editors. These procedural tools let players design almost anything and had their animations generated automatically, and creations were shared online through a system that seeded them into other players' worlds, filling the universe with community-made life. The final Space stage was an open-ended sandbox spanning a whole galaxy of planets to explore and terraform.
Though its per-stage gameplay depth drew mixed reactions relative to its enormous pre-release hype, Spore remains a fascinating and creative experiment. It is still available on digital storefronts for those curious about its one-of-a-kind evolutionary journey.
Where can you play Spore today?
Device by device, which of the 3 alternatives below you can play on it.
- PC
- Thrive (Free), The Universim (€ 29,99) and No Man's Sky (€ 59,99).
- Mac
- Thrive (Free) and The Universim (€ 29,99).
- Linux
- Thrive (Free).
- iPhone
- None of the alternatives to Spore runs on iPhone.
- iPad
- None of the alternatives to Spore runs on iPad.
- Android phone
- None of the alternatives to Spore runs on Android phone.
- Android tablet
- None of the alternatives to Spore runs on Android tablet.
- PlayStation
- None of the alternatives to Spore runs on PlayStation.
- Xbox
- None of the alternatives to Spore runs on Xbox.
- Switch
- None of the alternatives to Spore runs on Switch.
- Steam Deck
- The Universim (€ 29,99) and No Man's Sky (€ 59,99).
Games like Spore
Modern alternatives to Spore, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
Thrive Indie
FreeA free, open-source evolution simulator inspired directly by Spore.
Thrive runs on PC, Mac, Linux. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Steam Deck.
The Universim Indie
€ 29,99An indie planet-management god game watching a species evolve and expand.
The Universim is also an alternative to 2 other classics
The Universim runs on PC, Mac. Not available on Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Playable.
No Man's Sky
€ 59,99A vast procedurally generated universe of exploration and creation.
No Man's Sky is also an alternative to 1 other classic
No Man's Sky runs on PC. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. It is Steam Deck Verified.
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More simulation & management classics
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